


Accidentally

by Lion_owl



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, accidental acquisition of relationships and cats, i have no excuse i'm sorry, no dialogue in chapter 1, poor julian is confused awh, silly and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 13:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9609188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lion_owl/pseuds/Lion_owl
Summary: Ch 1: According to Quark, Julian has a boyfriend. Julian’s not sure who it is.Ch 2: Julian and Garak don’t have a cat? Well, apparently they do now.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this post](https://lionowlonao3.tumblr.com/post/156901254376/lordofthevegetablepatch-plant-dad-sulu-it). Oops. I have really no excuse for this. It was the only thing my mind would allow me to write. I've given up trying to even pretend any other pairings get half as much attention from me as this one does.

They’re sitting on the sofa in Julian’s living room.

He’s trying to focus on the film, but his mind keeps wandering back to Quark’s remark earlier that day: he’d been having a drink with Miles that afternoon, and he’d heard Quark say something to Morn about ‘Doctor Bashir’s boyfriend’.

He hadn’t caught the rest of the sentence, and had moved to ask what was meant by that as Morn had nodded in solemn agreement, but Quark had picked up a tray of drinks and carried it over to a table across the room, and a dabo girl (he thought her name was Marie but he could be wrong?) came to sit on Morn’s knee, distracting him.

Julian had tried to catch up with one of them to ask for clarification, but he’d been called to the wardroom for a senior staff meeting and that had been the end of that.

His boyfriend? He kept wondering. He didn’t have a boyfriend. Were they talking about one of his exes? The only romantic involvement he’d had since arriving on the station was his brief affair with Melora, and he wasn’t sure why Quark would be checking up on relationships he’d had prior to being assigned to this post.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

His boyfriend? A puzzle indeed.

He realises the video screen is on its side; no, Julian’s on his side. He has slid further down the sofa than he intended to be, and his head is resting on Garak’s leg.

It’s nice.

He pushes himself up anyway – if he stays like that, his neck will hurt. He resettles himself so his head is leaning on Garak’s collar bone, just below his neck ridges, and Garak’s chin brushes through his hair.

Garak’s arm, the one around his back, adjusts itself accordingly so as to avoid his friend’s shoulder muscles being twisted. The hand that had been on his waist lands on his hip, fingers drawing slow, gentle circles on the still uniform-clad skin.

Julian sighs with contentment.

 _Doctor Bashir’s boyfriend,_ Quark had said, and Morn had nodded in solemn agreement.

Suddenly his mind was whirring.

Did they mean Garak? Surely not, surely that was one person on the station they wouldn’t dare spread rumours about? He and Garak were not…

Were they?

They argued, disagreed, debated a _lot._ Literature discussions, politics, station gossip; Julian could barely think of a time their opinions had aligned, but there had never been any dislike, never any bitterness or odium in their arguments, and Julian had always felt exhilarated by them.

In the forefront of his mind was the time when a pair of Cardassian scientists had come to Deep Space Nine to help build and deploy a subspace relay in the Gamma Quadrant – Miles had reported that he’d severely disagreed with one of the women, and she’d taken it as a sign of his interest, later explaining to him that that was how Cardassians flirted.

By those standards, couldn’t their weekly lunchtime discussions be construed as flirting – probably outrageous flirting, in fact, considering how they’d kept the practice up for more than two years? Nearly three?

Wait… if this were the case, Garak must know, surely? And he hadn’t said anything? That sounded exactly like his friend… or boyfriend? Apparently.

Did Cardassians even have an equivalent word for boyfriend? It sounded somewhat juvenile, but at the same time ‘lover’ sounded a bit dramatic and, well, pompous?

Partner? He supposed partner fitted and wanted to settle on that, but… partner implied long-term commitment, and he was fairly certain he and Garak were just friends, or had been fairly certain until this moment…

It wasn’t just the literature debates, either. They regularly gave each other books as gifts. Garak had on more than one occasion presented Julian with custom-made clothes and recently, they’d even gone so far as to track down Delavian chocolates for each other.

It was starting to sound more like a relationship.

And apparently, Morn and Quark thought so too. How many other people on the station were of that opinion? If Quark was, it was likely Jadzia was too. If Jadzia thought that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she’d mentioned it to Sisko or Kira, or Keiko.

Was Julian the only person who hadn’t realised? It was conceivable; he had an unfortunate tendency to be oblivious in the most ridiculous of ways sometimes.

Well, he reasoned, there was only one thing for it: before he could run through too many scenarios in his head and talk himself out of it, he tilted his face up to Garak’s and closed what small distance was left between their lips.

Garak’s hand tightened on his hip, his other hand coming up to cup Julian’s chin as he kissed him back gently.

Oh, so gently, so tenderly. He’d never been kissed like this before.

The flavour of Garak’s – or should he call him Elim now? – mouth exploded in his own.

It tasted like the vegetable lasagne Julian had cooked for them this evening after they’d missed lunch due to an emergency in the infirmary; it tasted like the kanar Garak had drunk afterwards, blending with the taste of Julian’s orange juice and lemonade; it tasted salty, like the crisps they were snacking on while watching the now completely forgotten film.

It tasted just a little bitter, like the single tear of joy that had escaped Julian’s tearduct and rolled down his cheek onto his lips, into the kiss; it tasted sweet, like the euphoria he was feeling at realising how much more they meant to each other than he had known.

But most importantly, it tasted like Garak, so thoroughly unique and new; and it tasted like something that had a future.


	2. Chapter 2

The kiss lasts quite some time – it is a good few minutes until they part, breathy and flushed; Elim stroking Julian’s cheek gently, a tenderness in his startling blue eyes like Julian has never seen before.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks, his voice barely a whisper.

Elim chuckles. “Tell you what, my dear?”

Warmth flares in Julian’s chest at the endearment – strange, because Elim has been using that word to address him for most of their acquaintance; perhaps it is his neglect in this instance to follow it with the word ‘doctor’. He almost says ‘that we were basically already a couple’ but he hears how foolish that sounds in his own head, and instead places a light kiss on his partner’s – yes, he likes the sound of that – nose and settles down, simply enjoying the closeness.

He hears, but barely registers, the sound of scratching coming from the other side of the closed door to his bathroom.

*

Jadzia’s on her way back to her own quarters after visiting Nerys when she decides to stop in on Julian, for no particular reason, really, she just feels like it, and she’s passing his place anyway.

When the door slides open to admit her, he’s kneeling in front of the sofa, his back to her. He immediately stands and turns to her, a frown on his face. “Jadzia!” he says, startled enough that she’s momentarily reminded of the young face she first met, nervously faltering his way through his attempts to ask her out; she’s not worried though, he had long given that up and he has Garak now anyway.

“Can I – sorry, can I get you anything?” he asks.

“I’m okay, thank you,” she says. “Is something bothering you?”

He points to the bottom of the sofa, where the fabric is scuffed, and some threads have been pulled out; she hadn’t noticed it when she’d arrived.

“That’s not all,” his frown deepens. “When I woke up this morning my glass of water had been knocked off the bedside table.”

“Could you have knocked it off in your sleep?”

“Maybe, but I couldn’t have done this,” he gestures to the sofa; “or this”: he picks up a cushion and throws it to her. She catches it. It is covered in short little pieces of white… hair?

“Indeed,” she picks a strand of the hair from the cushion cover. “I can take this and examine it in the lab if you like.”

“Thanks, I – thank you.”

She goes over to his replicator and orders herself a raktajino, a Tarkalean tea for him, which he accepts.

“Is there something else you want to tell me?” she prompts, He opens his mouth to claim there isn’t, presumably, but she cuts him off: “you’re grinning, and blushing. I know that look, Julian. Are you and Garak moving in together?”

He splutters on his tea, and coughs for a minute before turning on her with an almost frightened expression. “Why would we be doing that?” he asks.

“I don’t know, Garak’s your partner, isn’t that what partners do eventually?” he looks genuinely confused, and she begins to wonder if perhaps she misjudged their relationship. Surely not.

“Eventually, maybe, but we…”

So they _are_ together.

“…only became involved two days ago.” He finishes, and she raises an eyebrow. She doesn’t believe that.

“Is _that_ right?” she asks, sipping her coffee. “so when you had me and Quark chasing down nearly impossible to come by chocolate as a surprise for him, that was for a friend, was it?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Do Cardassians make a habit of flirting outrageously in public with those they are not or do not intend to court?” she continues, and he splutters some more.

“What about that time you stabbed my plant because he wouldn’t tell you what was wrong?” she concludes, unable to keep a small smile from cropping smugly across her face.

“We definitely weren’t together then!” he finally finds his voice. “I don’t know, it just sort of _happened_ , then the other day I sort of, well, realised that it had happened.”

He looks thoroughly embarrassed and she feels slightly guilty, but she smiles and pats him on the shoulder, says, “I’m happy for you”, then picks up a few strands of the white hair and ducks out of his quarters – if there’s an intruder on the station, the sooner they’re discovered, the better.

*

As soon as Garak enters his quarters, it starts. It sounds part way between a squeak and a yowl, and it is incessant – and it is coming from within his bedroom.

Julian playing a prank, perhaps? If it is a prank he certainly would not like it to be anyone else. Cautiously, he takes a step towards the archway leading to the other room and discovers the source of the noise. Sitting on his bed, kneading the quilt gently and staring at him with prying green eyes is… a rather small being, white all over. She stands and walks towards him on four legs, still making her yowling sound, and jumps off the bed, rubbing her body against his lower leg.

He is singularly unsure how to react.

She begins vibrating, and making a low sound he is unfamiliar with. She appears harmless, and though he can’t preclude the possibility of a trap, she’s also… quite cute and pleasant. He kneels and holds his hand out to her. She rubs her nose against his fingers.

 _This station has made you soft_ , he chastises himself. But he gives the little creature a rub behind the ear anyway. She seems to like that, because the vibration increases, as does the volume of the low noise she is making.

He is pulled out of the moment by the door chime, and he goes to open it. Julian is standing on the other side.

“Do come in, my dear,” he says, gesturing to the room at large. Julian steps over the threshold and wraps his arms around Garak’s waist immediately, kissing him. Garak kisses back.

“I brought you something,” Julian says when they part, presenting Garak with the package he had noticed as soon as his partner had arrived. Then he freezes. “ _Elim_ ,” he says, and his tone sounds like there’s a warning in there. “I _knew_ it was you.”

“Knew what was me?” Garak asks, for once genuinely clueless.

“There was a white cat in my quarters.”

“A what?” he asks. Wrong thing to say. Julian gives him a disapproving look and removes himself from Garak’s hold, sitting down on the sofa.

“Hello there,” Julian says softly, as the creature pads into the living room. Julian pats his own knee, and the creature jumps up to sit there, curling against Julian’s stomach. Garak irrationally wants to push her off, reclaim Julian as his own, but she’s vibrating again and they both look so happy, and he doesn’t have the heart to.

“Did you bring her to my quarters while I was out?” he asks instead.

“Don’t play games with me, Elim,” he says. “I found that a cat had been in my quarters last night, and today I come to see you and find one in your quarters.

“I assure you I didn’t have anything to do with the – _cat_ ’ _s?_ – arrival.”

A puzzled look crosses Julian’s face.

*

Odo has just got back from his routine check up on Quark when Doctor Bashir and Mr Garak appear in his office. He offers them a seat and a drink, as he has learned is customary among humanoids. They sit down, but both decline the drink.

“What can I do for you, gentlemen?” he asks.

“Is anyone missing a Terran house cat?” Bashir launches in, then elaborates: “we’ve found a stray living in our quarters. That is, it has visited both of our respective quarters.”

“Isn’t that odd?” Odo says. He doesn’t entirely believe them and lets his tone show that, but pulls up his records anyway. “Given that the two of you live in completely different sections of the habitat ring.”

They exchange a glance, as Odo pulls up his missing persons list, and types ‘house cat, Terran’, into the _species_ enquiry line. There are no results. Next he tries the station inhabitants registry, and there are three results.

“Hmm,” he says, drawing out his reaction, tapping the PADD against his ‘fingers’.

“Have you found something?” Garak asks.

He pulls up a picture of a white cat and slides the PADD across the table to the couple.

“That’s the cat!” Bashir says, pointing at the display screen like there could be any confusion otherwise, something Humans in particular were wont to do

“According to my information, this cat lives with you.” Odo reveals, and they throw each other accusatory glances. “Both of you.” He finishes.

“Your information must be flawed,” Garak disagrees. “We don’t have a cat.”

“Apparently you do now,” Odo feels like he’s gloating as he takes the PADD back and smiles at them. He plans to begin an investigation on the side, but he’s never seen Garak look so – well, the only word for it is confused, frankly – and he intends to enjoy that.

“Does your record have a name for our cat?” Bashir asks.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Odo admits.

*

“I still think you’re behind this,” Julian says as they leave Odo’s office and head towards the habitat ring.

“My dear, now why would I do such a thing?” Elim asks, an infuriating grin on his face.

“Why would anyone edit Odo’s records to say that we, as a couple, have a cat?”

“I can’t think of a reason, believe me, I’m just as puzzled by this as you are.”

“I think you’re doing this to amuse yourself.” Julian accuses, jabbing Elim’s arm lightly with his finger. “Not that I’m entirely complaining. I’ve always wanted a cat.”

“Now I’m disappointed I wasn’t responsible for it,” Elim affects a frown. Julian’s still not convinced he’s telling the truth. “If having a cat would make you happy.” Now _that_ sounds more plausible, only just.

“Whatever, we’re keeping her.” Julian says adamantly. “What shall we call her?”

“How does Mila sound?” Elim suggests, and Julian doesn’t question why he was so quick with the suggestion. He likes it anyway.

“Dax to Bashir,” his comm badge chirrups before he can reply.

“Bashir here.”

“I’ve finished the analysis of the hair,” she says

“Thanks, Jadzia, but I’ve already found the perpetrator. Apparently we have a cat.”

“Do you want to know who gave you the cat?” Jadzia asks, then continues without waiting for a response from the shocked men. “I found additional DNA on the fur which could be matched to Morn, and when I asked him he told me it’s a Lurian tradition to give an animal companion to one’s friends after they’ve been a couple for more than a year as a show of one’s wishes that their relationship continue to be a successful one.” She explained, and Julian found his tongue tied when he tried to respond.

Partly because he hadn’t realised Morn considered him a friend, and partly because apparently Morn thought he and Elim had been a couple for more than a year? Maybe he was right. It’s a sweet gesture, at any rate, and he makes a mental note to thank him next time he sees him.

“Thanks, Jadzia,” he says eventually.

“Dax out,” she says. He closes the channel.

 “So it wasn’t you,” he says, frankly a little stunned.

They’ve reached Elim’s quarters, where they find the cat – where they find Mila – perched on the sofa, her tail swishing back and forth. She meows happily when they enter.

“It’s very embarrassing,” Julian says without thinking as he kicks off his shoes and sits down on the sofa. “Having everyone else on the station realising we’re in a relationship before I did.” He hadn’t meant to admit to that, and feels himself blush when he realises he had, but it received a nonchalant reaction and he felt a little better for that.

“I thought all involved parties being aware was a key stipulation of relationships among Humans.” Elim says as he sits beside him, and Julian snuggles into his partner. Mila immediately comes to lie across their knees.

“Did _you_ view us as a couple?”

“I thought our behaviour resembled that of a couple by both Human and Cardassian standards, but I also knew Humans often require an unequivocal discussion of affirmation upon embarkation of such a relationship, one we hadn’t had, therefore I knew there was a chance you did not view us that way.” – which was a long-winded way of saying _yes, but I had my doubts_. Julian feels a little bad at that.

“Well, I view us as a couple now, if you’ll have me.” Then he adds: “Unequivocally.”

Elim’s only response to that was to pull him in for a lingering kiss.

Mila meows and rubs her nose along Julian’s palm, demanding attention. He scratches her under her chin and she tilts her head back, her purring growing louder.

“I’ll have to thank Morn when I see him,” Elim reflects Julian’s earlier note as he runs a hand along Mila’s back, which she archs happily when he reaches her tail. He’d taken to her more than Julian had imagined he would – he hadn’t pictured his partner as a cat person.

Julian sighs in contentment and closes his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tempted to make this pt 1 of a series called "The Adventures of Julian, Elim and Mila the Cat"; i'm going to leave it for now but it's entirely possible this is going to be a thing at some point. Yeah that sounds kinda cringy but it also sounds great.


End file.
